Convoy OG 71

Last updated
Convoy OG.71
Part of World War II
Date13–25 August 1941
Location
North Atlantic
Result German victory
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany

Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom

Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Vice-Admiral P E Parker DSO
Strength
8 U-boats 23 merchant ships
13 escorts
Casualties and losses
10 ships sunk
(8 merchants, 2 escorts)
360 killed

Convoy OG 71 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 71st of the numbered OG convoys Outbound from the British Isles to Gibraltar. The convoy departed Liverpool on 13 August 1941 [1] and was found on 17 August by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of Kampfgeschwader 40. Starting on August 19, it became the first convoy of the war to be attacked by a German submarine wolfpack, when reached by eight U-boats from 1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out of Brest. Ten ships comprising a total tonnage of 15,185 tons were sunk before the U-boats lost contact on 23 August. [2]

Contents

Legacy

This convoy was known as "Nightmare Convoy". [3] Eight merchant ships, [2] two naval escorts and over 400 people died, including 152 from the commodore's ship, Aguila (146 on August 19 and 6 survivors lost on August 22 when Empire Oak sank). The Aguila losses included the 22 "lost Wrens" (members of the Women's Royal Naval Service, or WRNS) who had volunteered for duties at Gibraltar. After this, Wrens were never sent again on passenger liners in convoys, but transported on HM ships. [4] In their honour, a new Black Swan-class sloop, launched in 1942, was named HMS Wren, while a Liverpool-class lifeboat, launched in 1951, was named Aguila Wren. [5]

Of the convoy's surviving merchant ships, five reached Gibraltar while 10 retreated to neutral Portugal. [6] [7] This was described as the most "bitter act of surrender could ever come our way". [8]

The two ships from neutral Ireland were carrying British coal—after this incident, the Irish ship owners decided not to sail their vessels in British convoys and by the early months of 1942 the practice had ceased. [9]

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 23 merchant vessels joined the convoy in Liverpool. [10]

NameFlagTonnage (GRT) Notes
Aguila (1916)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 3,255Passenger ship sunk by U-201 [11] on 19 Aug, with 146 dead
(another 6 survivors died when Empire Oak was lost 3 days later)
Convoy Commodore's ship (Vice-Admiral P E Parker DSO)
Aighai (1896)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 1,406Retreated to Porto
Aldergrove (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,974Sunk by U-201 [12] on 23 Aug, with 1 dead
Alva (1934)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,584Sunk by U-559 [13] on 19 Aug
Cervantes (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,810Retreated to Lisbon.
Ciscar (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,808Sunk by U-201 [14] on 19 Aug
Clonlara (1926)Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 1,203Retreated towards Lisbon.
Sunk by U-201 [15] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead
Copeland (1923)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,526Rescue Ship
Ebro (1920)Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1,547Reached Gibraltar.
Empire Oak (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 484Sunk by U-564 [16] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead
(including 6 of 6 originally rescued from Aguila and 9 of 11 rescued from Alva)
Empire Stream (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 2,911Retreated to Lisbon. Vice-Commodore's Ship
Grelhead (1915)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 4,274Retreated to Lisbon
Lanarhone (1928)Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 1,221Arrived in Lisbon, her intended destination.
Lapwing (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,348Reached Gibraltar.
Lyminge (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 2,499Retreated to Lisbon.
Marklyn (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 3,090Reached Gibraltar.
Meta (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,575Retreated to Lisbon.
Petrel (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,354Retreated to Porto
Spero (1922)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,589Reached Gibraltar.
Spind (1917)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,197Torpedoed and damaged by U-564 & finally sunk by U-552 [17] on 23 Aug, with no deaths
Starling (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,320Reached Gibraltar.
Stork (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 787Sunk by U-201 [18] on 23 Aug, with 19 dead
Switzerland (1922)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  UK 1,291Retreated to Lisbon.

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey. [10]

NameFlagTypeJoinedLeft
HNoMS Bath (I17) Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy Wickes-class destroyer 13 Aug 1941Sunk by U-204 [19] on 19 Aug 1941, 88 Dead
HMS Bluebell (K80) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Boreas (H77) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy B-class destroyer 22 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Campanula (K18)Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Campion (K108)Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Gurkha (G63) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy L-class destroyer 20 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Hydrangea (K39)Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Lance (G87) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy L-class destroyer 20 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Leith (U36) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Grimsby-class sloop 13 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Vidette (D48) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Admiralty V-class destroyer 21 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Wallflower (K44)Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Wivern (D66) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Modified W-class destroyer 22 Aug 194123 Aug 1941
HMS Zinnia (K98) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 13 Aug 1941Sunk by U-564 [20] on 23 Aug 1941, 68 Dead

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hague, pp. 175–176
  2. 1 2 Rohwer, Jürgen; Hummelchen (1999). Axis submarine successes of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   9781853673405. p. 78
  3. ↑ Lund, Paul; Ludlam, Harry; Shuttleworth, Tom (1987). Nightmare Convoy. Foulsham. ISBN   978-0-572-01452-0.
  4. ↑ Mason, Ursula (1992). Britannia's daughters: the story of the WRNS. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. ISBN   978-0-85052-271-6. page 46.
  5. ↑ Markwell, June (5 May 2005). "12 Scarborough Wrens sunk by U-boat". On the Fourth Watch. Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN   1-86176-147-3.
  7. ↑ Forde, Frank (1988). Maritime Arklow. Dún Laoghaire: Glendale Press. ISBN   0-907606-51-2., page 198.
  8. ↑ Monsarrat, Nicholas (1970). Life is a Four Letter Word. London: Cassell. ISBN   978-0-330-02294-1., page 114.
  9. ↑ Forde, Frank (2000) [1981]. The Long Watch. Dublin: New Island Books. ISBN   1-902602-42-0., page 87.
  10. 1 2 "Convoy OG.71". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "Aguila – British Steam Passenger Ship". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Aldergrove – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Alva – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "Ciscar – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Clonlara – Irish Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "Empire Oak – British Steam Tug". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Spind – Norwegian Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "Stork – British Motor Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "HNoMS Bath (I 17) – Norwegian Destroyer". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  20. ↑ "HMS Zinnia (K 98) – British Corvette". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.

Bibliography

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